TIP: What is Data Sharing and How to Use - FAQ
Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 11:39 pm
Here is a run down of the questions we have either received, or expect to receive about data sharing.
What is Data Sharing?
Data Sharing is a new feature in version 2.60 of both the iPhone and iPad version of iScore Baseball. This feature allows you to share teams and games between devices.
How do I share data?
We have provided two methods for sharing data. You can share via Bluetooth or over the Internet. Both methods are available by going to Options->Data Sharing. From there, you can either "Get Data from Others" or "Send Data to Others".
How do I share data using Bluetooth?
To share data over Bluetooth (no internet required), you set one device to "Get via Bluetooth", and the other to "Send via Bluetooth". The two devices will then use the built in connection interface to find each other and establish a connection. (Yes, this can be slow. We do not control this --- it is a built in feature of the iPhone SDK.) Once the connection is established, the device that is "getting" data will see a list of all Games and Teams that are on the remote device, but have not already been transferred to the local device. You can select a team that you want to transfer to your device, and it will then ask you to "map" the data to your local device. Mapping is the process of either saying the teams should be brought in as "New" teams on your device, or that the teams already exist on your device, and you choose which teams to map to. If you select a team from your device to map to, iScore will do it's best attempt to map the players from the remote team to the same players on your team. You have the option of overriding anything that iScore selects at this state. Once everything is "mapped" the way you want, let iScore do the transfer, and you will have the remote team(s) and/or game that you wanted to transfer.
How do I share data over the internet?
On the device you want to retrieve data from, make sure you have Exported the data to the iScore servers (Options->Export), and be sure you have set your Admin Password (Options->Admin Website). Now you can pull data in from that device. Select Options->Data Sharing->Get from Web Database. iScore will then ask for the Customer ID and Password of the database you want to get data from. This can be seen on the Options->Admin Website screen of the remote device. Enter this information, and iScore will then step you through the same steps as described in the Bluetooth section above.
Why do I have to map my teams/players?
Mapping allows you to continue keeping cumulative statistics even if games are scored from another device. If each device had independently created the teams and rosters, then their are internal identifiers for each team and player that are different on the two devices. Mapping allows you to say which teams or players on your device are the same as teams or players on the device you are getting data from. If you are getting data for a team that you do not already have on your device, then you can just leave the "New" selection, and new players/teams are created on your device to match the remote players/teams.
One data mapping has been done for a team between devices, you will not need to do it again. The next time you import data from the remote device, iScore will recognize that you have already mapped the players/teams, and not require you to do it again.
Can I share the data between my iPhone or iPod Touch and the iPad? (or alternatively... why can't I use Bluetooth to transfer data between an iPhone and the iPad)
Yes, you can transfer data between the iPhone or iPod Touch and the iPad, but it requires using the sharing over internet option described above. You can not use Bluetooth because the iPhone and iPad versions of the application are two separate applications, and the Bluetooth code being used only allows applications with the same "Application ID" to connect to each other. You can use Bluetooth to share from iPhone -> iPhone, from iPhone->iPod Touch (or vice versa), and from iPad->iPad, but you can not share from iPhone/iPod -> iPad over Bluetooth.
We will continue looking for ways to allow this.
What is Data Sharing?
Data Sharing is a new feature in version 2.60 of both the iPhone and iPad version of iScore Baseball. This feature allows you to share teams and games between devices.
How do I share data?
We have provided two methods for sharing data. You can share via Bluetooth or over the Internet. Both methods are available by going to Options->Data Sharing. From there, you can either "Get Data from Others" or "Send Data to Others".
How do I share data using Bluetooth?
To share data over Bluetooth (no internet required), you set one device to "Get via Bluetooth", and the other to "Send via Bluetooth". The two devices will then use the built in connection interface to find each other and establish a connection. (Yes, this can be slow. We do not control this --- it is a built in feature of the iPhone SDK.) Once the connection is established, the device that is "getting" data will see a list of all Games and Teams that are on the remote device, but have not already been transferred to the local device. You can select a team that you want to transfer to your device, and it will then ask you to "map" the data to your local device. Mapping is the process of either saying the teams should be brought in as "New" teams on your device, or that the teams already exist on your device, and you choose which teams to map to. If you select a team from your device to map to, iScore will do it's best attempt to map the players from the remote team to the same players on your team. You have the option of overriding anything that iScore selects at this state. Once everything is "mapped" the way you want, let iScore do the transfer, and you will have the remote team(s) and/or game that you wanted to transfer.
How do I share data over the internet?
On the device you want to retrieve data from, make sure you have Exported the data to the iScore servers (Options->Export), and be sure you have set your Admin Password (Options->Admin Website). Now you can pull data in from that device. Select Options->Data Sharing->Get from Web Database. iScore will then ask for the Customer ID and Password of the database you want to get data from. This can be seen on the Options->Admin Website screen of the remote device. Enter this information, and iScore will then step you through the same steps as described in the Bluetooth section above.
Why do I have to map my teams/players?
Mapping allows you to continue keeping cumulative statistics even if games are scored from another device. If each device had independently created the teams and rosters, then their are internal identifiers for each team and player that are different on the two devices. Mapping allows you to say which teams or players on your device are the same as teams or players on the device you are getting data from. If you are getting data for a team that you do not already have on your device, then you can just leave the "New" selection, and new players/teams are created on your device to match the remote players/teams.
One data mapping has been done for a team between devices, you will not need to do it again. The next time you import data from the remote device, iScore will recognize that you have already mapped the players/teams, and not require you to do it again.
Can I share the data between my iPhone or iPod Touch and the iPad? (or alternatively... why can't I use Bluetooth to transfer data between an iPhone and the iPad)
Yes, you can transfer data between the iPhone or iPod Touch and the iPad, but it requires using the sharing over internet option described above. You can not use Bluetooth because the iPhone and iPad versions of the application are two separate applications, and the Bluetooth code being used only allows applications with the same "Application ID" to connect to each other. You can use Bluetooth to share from iPhone -> iPhone, from iPhone->iPod Touch (or vice versa), and from iPad->iPad, but you can not share from iPhone/iPod -> iPad over Bluetooth.
We will continue looking for ways to allow this.